US Supreme Court rules on controversial Arizona immigration law

The top court rejected the parts of the draconian law, known as SB1070, that required immigrants to obtain or carry immigration registration papers at all times, made it a state criminal offense for an illegal immigrant to seek work and allowed police to arrest suspected illegal immigrants without warrants.

The court, however, upheld the so-called "show me your papers" requirement according to which police check the status of someone they suspect is not in the United States legally.

The landmark ruling is part of an ongoing controversy between federal and state authorities over who has the authority to enforce immigration laws across the United States.

The US state of Arizona, which borders Mexico, was the first US state to adopt laws aimed at driving illegal immigrants out.

    The opponents of the legislation, including President Barack Obama, say the "show me your papers" provision would lead to racial profiling.

“No American should ever live under a cloud of suspicion just because of what they look like,” Obama said, adding, “Going forward, we must ensure that Arizona law enforcement officials do not enforce this law in a manner that undermines the civil rights of Americans, as the court's decision recognizes.”

Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said, “I know they will not be using that kind of tactic on people with the last name Roberts, Romney, or Brewer, but if your name is something like Gutierrez or Chung or Obama, watch out.”

"The express goal of the authors of Arizona's SB1070 is to make life miserable for immigrants so that they will leave, and a key tool in that effort was upheld by the court," Gutierrez added.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, meanwhile, declared the ruling a victory for her state, saying the "heart" of the law can now be implemented "in accordance with the US Constitution."

An estimated 11 million people live in the United States illegally; most of them are Latinos and roughly half are visa overstays.